The Broken Manas and My One and Only
by Taza-Sheena
Summary: Soren meets Rilla, a Laguz girl captured by Oliver. With her help, her learns to respect others and discovers what it is like to be loved unconditionally, the power of a soulmate. SorenxOC
1. Chapter 1

I sat in my room, wait make that prison cell, staring out the window. This room would have been nice, if not for its purpose. I was a prisoner and for a stupid purpose too. I had been imprisoned for my beauty, for my being a silver-white tiger Laguz, by Bishop Oliver, the Duke of Tanas. I would never forget that day, one month before, when a seemingly innocent stranger had sold me for his own profit.

Flashback

_I walked through the Serenes forest, through the seemingly endless greyness of it, towards the altar. Suddenly I heard footsteps behind me. A man with long red hair tied into a ponytail and green clothes stepped out of the bushes. "Well pretty little kitty," he said, "what are you doing here?" As a Hylian, not a Laguz, raised me I don't have the usual Laguz hatred of Beorc. I smiled at him. "Nothing." I said. "My name is Shinon," he explained, "I used to work for a mercenary group. "My name is Rilla, sir." I paused. "Would you happen to know how to get to Daien?" Shinon gave me a strange look. "Daein! Well that's where I'm headed! Why don't we travel together?" I accepted his offer. "Now," he said, "I have a friend who lives in the mansion that borders the forest, he'll give us directions."_

As soon as we entered the mansion, I could tell that something was wrong, but I realised too late that I had been tricked. "Oliver!" Shinon called out, "I've brought you your prize!" A short, balding, fat man waddled into the room. He glanced at me, and his eyes flashed with bolth surprise and anger. "Shinon you idiot!" he yelled, "I told you to find me a heron! This isn't a heron!" He looked at me again. "Though, she is quite beautiful. Tell me Shinon, do you know her breed?" Shinon's green eyes flashed. "I believe sir," he began, "that she is a silver-white tiger. Oliver rubbed his fat hands together excitedly. "Exquisite!" he breathed, "Simply exquisite! White tigers are rare as it is, but a silver-white tiger! Oh! Such beauty! Such grace... Oliver would have gone on and on, but Shinon cleared his throat impatiently. "About payment..." he began. Oliver directed his attention back at Shinon. "Yes. Let's say, 10 000 gold?" Shinon looked furious. "10 000?! You promised me 30 000!" Oliver shifted his feet nervously. "Well yes... but that was for a heron..." "Fine!" Shinon grumbled, "I'll take the money!" Oliver smiled and tossed Shinon a leather sack of gold Beorc coins. "Wise choice Shinon! Don't worry; I'll take good care of her! I always take good care of my artwork!" Shinon gave me a look I couldn't quite understand, and turned towards the door. "Farewell Oliver... you too Rilla..."

End flashback

I was startled from my thoughts by the sound of a key turning in the lock. I refused to turn around, refused to acknowledge the fat monster that was Oliver. "My precious kitty!" he cried, "I've brought you a friend!" I heard the sounds of struggle and of someone being dragged across the floor. " Good bye my treasures!" Oliver cried. ... Silence... I didn't turn around until I was sure that he was gone. I did, and gasped in suprise as I realised whom the Laguz lying on the floor before me was.

It was Reyson...

... the prince of Serenes!


	2. Chapter 2

I gasped at the sight of Reyson lying on the floor before me. "Prince Reyson!" I cried, "Are you all right?" Reyson moaned and sat up. When he saw me his eyes widened.

"You! You're one of Runningstripes' foundlings aren't you? So Oliver captured you too?" Reyson shakily stood up. I grabbed his hand and set him down on the bed.

"Prince Reyson? How did Oliver get you?" A look of fury crossed Reyson's face and he motioned for me to sit next to him. I did.

"Naesala sold me too Oliver." He spat. I gasped.

" King Naesala of Kilvas?! Has he no honour?" Reyson grabbed my hand.

"Apparently not!" he spat, "I trusted him, and he sold me to a balding fat man for his own profit!" I squeezed Reyson's hand.

"That's sad." I thought of what Shinon had done.

"It seem's that you can't trust anyone anymore." Reyson sighed. "You speak the truth. Tell me, how many of you are with Runningstripes' now?" I tried to remember.

"There are six of us not including Runningstripes and his family. There's me, a young wolf Laguz,a raven Laguz,a cat Laguz a Beorc male and a young Branded woman." Reyson's back stiffened

"Branded...What a sad fate..." Reyson lay down. "I'm so tired..." He sat up. "I'm sorry!" he said, "This is your bed! I must seem so rude!" I started laughing

"Rilla! This is too kind of you! You have the love and wisdom of some one beyond your 15 years!" I smiled at him and lay down on the floor.

"Goodnight Reyson."

"Goodnight Rilla..."

I was falling, falling through what seemed to be nothing. Then all of the sudden I stopped. I could feel a pair of strong warm arms around me, protecting me. Together we floated down to the ground, like a feather. When we landed he released me. I turned around to face him, to thank him. When Saw his face I stopped. He seemed oddly familiar to me in a way, with his long raven black hair and blood red eyes, with the symbol in the middle of his forehead. Was he real? I had to make sure. I reached out and touched his cheek. He smiled and stroked my ears. "Rilla, when you find me, teach me how to love you, how to accept you." I gave him a confused look.

"But you're so kind? What's your name?" He clasped my hand gently and smiled.

"My name is Senerio, and I am...  
...your soul mate!"

I woke to the feeling of someone shaking me from my sleep. I rolled over. "Senerio..?" Reyson shook me even harder.

"Rilla! Wake up! Quickly!" My eyes shot open.

"Reyson what's wrong ?!" He took my hand and led me to the window.

"Look," he said, pointing out the window, "It's a mercenary group!" I clasped my hands together excitedly.

"Could it be, that the Apostle sent them to search Oliver?" Reyson nodded. "That's a possibility. But look! They have Laguz with them, could they be from Crimea?" I studied the mercenary group from the window. Suddenly I recognized one of the Laguz members.

"Look Reyson! The Laguz with the orange hair! She's a Gallian general! I met her once!" Reyson slowly nodded

"yes I believe I met her too." Suddenly, a ray of sunlight peeked out from behind the clouds and reflected of my shimmering silver hair and Reyson's golden hair. This caught the attention of one of the mercenaries who turned around and looked at the window. We ducked down quickly, but I managed to glimpse the mercenary's face. It was the boy from my dream! I was sure of it! Seeing my troubled look, Reyson gently squeezed my hand.

"Don't worry, Rilla, we'll be free soon." I could only hope so. We waited a while and after a few minutes the door opened. It was a redheaded woman and a young teenaged girl. I was so surprised that I dived under a table and broke a vase. This noise caught the guards' attention.

"HEY! YOU CAN'T BE HERE!" he yelled. The two mercenaries ran away and the guards gave chase. Oh, goddesses, where was Senerio when I needed him? Another minute passed. I heard the sound of swords clanging together and the smell of blood reached my nose. I realized that I was still underneath the table. Suddenly Oliver came running in. He didn't notice me as all his attention was focused on Reyson.

"Don't worry my precious bird I will not let these paupers touch you!" Reyson gave Oliver a disgusted look.

"You will not touch me either, cursed human!" Reyson spat. Angry, Oliver reached out for Reyson's arm but Reyson slapped his hand away. I did my best not to scream as I watched Oliver pull out a knife and cut Reyson's arm. Suddenly there was a banging on the other side of the door.

"Oliver! Come out right now!" Oliver looked nervous. The door opened and a young man rushed in. Oliver let out a squeal and rushed past him, escaping down the hall.

"Blast!" the young man cried out. Turning around, he noticed Reyson who was opening the window. His eyes widened at the sight of Reyson's injured arm.

"I'm here to help you! Are you ok?" Reyson recoiled from the young mans' reaching fingers.

"Curse you! I need not your help, human!" He was halfway out the window by now. "Curse you human! Remember the genocide!" Reyson jumped out the window. "Blast!" the young man cried, and ran out the door to catch up with Oliver. He hadn't noticed me. I crawled out from underneath the table and ran to the window. I decided I would jump out the window, after all cats always land on their feet, even big cats. I was about to jump out the window when I felt a pair of arms wrap around me and pull me backwards.

I squealed and bit the hand of my captor. This earned me a hard slap across the face. "Blasted subhuman!" I was pulled roughly to my feet. As I looked at the face of my captor, I gasped. It was the mercenary, they boy from my dream, Serenio! He too was staring at me as if he couldn't believe his eyes. "Raillana?" he whispered. I shook my head. "No, my name is Rilla. Are you by chance, Senerio?" An odd look crossed his face. "No my name is Soren, of the Greil Mercenaries and I'm here to save you."


	3. Chapter 3

_a/n: Originally the song was in a special runic font I downloaded, but as I discovered when I uploaded this chapter, doesn't recognize that font.

* * *

_

Rilla

I stared at Soren. "That's nice that want to help me, but I was just about to save myself."

"By killing yourself?" he asked.

I almost laughed. "No stupid, I was escaping through the window. In case you didn't know cats always land on their feet, even big cats."

"Oh…" Soren mumbled, obviously embarrassed.

I smirked at his reaction. "Well it would be nice if we had more time for you to embarrass yourself, but I have a mercenary group waiting for me at the Begnion-Daein border." I said, heading towards the door.

"Wait!" Soren grabbed my hand

"Yes?"

"I'm a member of a mercenary group that is going to be traveling to Daein. Would you like to come with us until we reach the border, after all you've already got yourself captured once traveling alone."

"I wasn't captured," I hissed, "I was betrayed, by a stinking no good red-headed bastard of a mercenary. How do I know you won't do the same to me?"

An odd look crossed Soren's face. "A stinking no good red-headed bastard of a mercenary huh? Wait…. that sound's like…was his name Shinon?"

I nodded. "Yes, his name was Shinon."

"I knew him, I never trusted him though." Soren sighed.

"Soren."

"Yes?"

"I'd really like my hand back."

"Sorry." Soren mumbled, letting go of my hand.

Lethe was waiting for us outside the door. She looked surprised to see me, and then gave Soren a long cold look. "Lady Rilla," she said, looking back at me, "Whatever are you doing in a place like this?"

I stared down at the floor in embarrassment. "I was captured…"

"Well that's what you get for trusting Beorc! And if you trust THAT one as well, you'll certainly meet am untimely death!" she spat, pointing openly at Soren.

"Must you act as if I was not here?" Soren mumbled.

"Shut up!" Lethe screeched, her ears flattened. "You and your kind have never existed in my eyes and never will! You, the one thing that is more inferior than Beorc! You don't exist so stop acting like you do!" she stalked away, her ears still flattened.

A hurt look appeared in Soren's eyes for a second, then vanished. He turned and began to walk away.

"Soren!" I called after him, "Wait!"

"He stopped and began to speak, but did not turn around to face me. "Are you going to look right through me too?"

"Of course not," I said, "You saved me, whether I needed saving or not."

"Well then let's leave this place." He said, motioning for me to follow him.

* * *

Once outside, I stood in the sunlight, blinking. 

"Rilla," Soren said, coming up behind me, "Reyson is gone, he escaped into the forest."

"Would you like me to help?"

"Only if you want to." He paused, thinking," I read once that the Silver-White tigers were sometimes referred to as the 'Herons of the Beast Tribes', due to the fact that they had their own ancient tongue and their own seid magic, similar to the Herons Galldr."

"That is true," I said, turning to face him. "Perhaps if I sing, Reyson will hear it and come in this direction."

"That's a good idea. Is there a special song to summon a Heron?"

"Yes, and that's one the reason's why Oliver captured me. I never learned it though."

"So sing any song, a song you know well."

I closed my eyes and thought for a moment, and then began to sing;

_Erouc ous li otitnes oh anul oraihc_

_Ocra'lled adroc alled nu emoc eramert _

_Otadraug ah em iel, anul allen id arup ecul al _

_Erouc eus li as onussen _

_Odev al otadna e elos odnauq _

_Odderf li am, eratiugesrep e'lleb _

_Eclod isoc e otaliffa euqnud, olletloc mu id amal al emoc _

_Erouc ous li as onussen_

_Arolodda de erolod li, erolod li ottut _

_Etton alled atserof allen osuichnir ah _

_Odnom la eneitrappa oterges erouc ous li _

_Oiub len aripsos ehc esoc elled _

_Oiub len onognaip ehc esoc el ho_

_In the moonlight I felt your heart_

_Quiver like a bowstring's pulse_

_In the moon's pure light, you looked at me_

_Nobody knows your heart_

_When the sun is gone I see you_

_Beautiful and haunting, but cold_

_Like the blade of a knife, so sharp and so sweet_

_Nobody knows your heart_

_All of your sorrow, grief and pain_

_Locked away in the forest of the night_

_Your secret heart belongs to the world_

_Of the things that sigh in the dark_

_Oh the things that cry in the dark_

Slowly, I opened my eyes.

* * *

_a/n:_ _I didn't make up the song of course. The song is "Mononoke Hime" (Princess Mononoke) by Joe Hisaishi. Don't the lyrics suit Soren perfectly? The song plays an important role later in the story, so remember it._

_An you know how the heron language is actually reversed romaji? The silver white tiger language is like that too. It's a different language though. Do you know what language it is? I'll make a story banner for the first person who gets it right._

_My deviantart is: brokenstar07. _


End file.
